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Raja Farooq Haider condoles over Neelum Tragedy

RAWALPINDI : Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider Khan on Monday expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in an incident in Neelum Valley of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

The prime Minister soon after receiving the information of the tragic incident cancelled his all engagements and reached the site of the tragic incident to personally supervise the rescue and search operation.

The unfortunate incident took place at Kutan near Kundal Shahi, some 60 kilometers north of Muzaffarabad where a bridge over Jagran stream collapsed when a group of tourists, mostly from Lahore and Faisalabad were crossing it.

Seven bodies of the victims have been recovered, 11 injured were rescued from the water while nine are still missing. Acting President Shah Ghulam Qadir, Inspector General Police, Shoib Dastgir, Commissioner Muzaffarabad Division, Imtiaz Ahmed, Deputy Commissioner Muzaffarabad and Neelum were also accompanied the prime minister, his office said on Sunday.

The prime minister on arrival in Neelum Valley interacted with other members of the tourists’ group and expressed his sympathies with them on the death and injuries of their colleagues. He thanked Chief of Army Staff Gen.

Qammar Javed Bajwa for providing helicopters to shift the injured from Neelum Valley to Muzaffarabad and participation of Pak Army jawans in the rescue and search operation. He said timely help from Pak Army save many precious lives from the violent waves of the water.

AJK Prime Minister also sent a condolence message to the Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and condoled with him on the loss of precious lives in the tragic incident in Neelum Valley. He said AJK government was utilizing all available resources to save the lives of those who were wounded in the incident.

The prime minister also condoled with the families of those lost their lives and ordered to make arrangements for sending all the male and female students who survived in the incident to their homes. The Prime Minister Haider also visited District Head quarter Hospital at Athmaqam to inquire after the health of injured tourists.